


Surpass

by brucethegirl



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23128660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brucethegirl/pseuds/brucethegirl
Summary: Natsu has lived in her brother's Vollyball shadow for years. Now she's starting her own path, and soon all of Miyagi will know her name.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	Surpass

A deep breath, a toss in the air, jump, connect, "Hinata!" straight into the net.

"Hmph," a small _TMP_ of sneakers on wood floor. "Natchan"

"Sorry, Hinata," Natsumi Saito giggled, but quickly sobered into her commanding captain voice, "what are you still doing out here? You have class!" She set her bag down and walked into the gym, "you're going to be late for first." She picked up the errant ball that had rolled near the door and tossed it effortlessly into the ball basket. "I thought you were supposed to be _smarter_ than your brother."

Natsu smirked, "that only means I can afford to be a little late to first period."

"Not if you get in trouble for truancy!" She tossed Natsu's gym bag towards her.

Natsu sighed and picked up the black and gold bag, wiping off dirt from the three embroidered claw marks on the front before tucking it under her arm and jogging out the gym. "Wait for me?" She gasped out as she ran past her captain who giggled again.

"Just hurry up, weirdo!"

Natsu's steps slowed as she got closer to the two story building housing the sport club rooms. Sure she'd wanted to get in a few more practice serves, but that wasn't the only reason the red head didn't rush to change at the end of practice.

"She's just a first year! She's not even starting! I don't know why she pushes so hard." The voice I’m the club room ended on a harsh chuckle.

Another cackle joined, "and she's always wearing that stupid jackal merch everywhere, it's like she thinks _she's_ on the team, too."

Other cruel laughter joined.

A heavy sigh, with a sniffle-from the April pollen- Natsu shifted the weight of her bag. She loved her brother. She clutched the bag and walked through the club door. She wasn't going to be ashamed of that. She wasn't going to not try as hard either. She wasn't a starter- _yet._ But in what world did that mean you didn’t try your hardest? In what world did that mean you should be satisfied with bench warming?

Even though it wasn't Karasuno, her brother's name still carried a lot of weight in the Miyagi volleyball scene. Especially within the male powerhouse schools, like her own. When the time had come to choose her high school, she'd known Karasuno was out. Even if it wasn't an uphill bike ride every day, she wouldn't have been able to bare it. She couldn't continue to live in her brother's shadow, and at the source of his sunlight, that's all she'd accomplish. So she picked another school whose name she'd heard a million times, always with disdain. Shoyo swore he wouldn't talk to her again when she'd told him. That had lasted until dinner.

Her first day in the volleyball club was enough to almost make her want to quit. " _The_ Hinata?"

"My brother played him in high school! Said he was like a monster!"

"He went to Brazil, ya know?"

"Do you get to meet Kageyama-kun, then?"

"Do you get to meet _all_ the players on his team?"

"Do you get to have dinner and everything with them?"

Too many expectations. The weight she'd spent years ignoring was too much. She tried to shrug it off, "They're just my brother and his friends," Apparently that wasn't the attitude she was supposed to have, and the smiles fell off the faces of her upperclassmen like spring snow.

"I guess with a name like Hinata you're allowed to think highly of yourself," came the cold response of a pretty brunette. The rest laughed.

"Is one of the new girls a comedian?" Sharp, direct, commanding. Natsu and the other first years turned to the door.

Walking in with an older woman, whom Natsu assumed was the coach, was the tallest girl Natsu had ever seen. Brown hair swept back, bangs ending just above her eyebrows, one of which was raised. "Captain!" The cruel brunette started. Another girl handed the captain the first year applications.

"Check out her name," the girl added in a stage whisper, tilting her head slyly at Natsu.

"That so?" she was giving a good show of disinterest in family associations before catching Natsu's eye. Natsu broke the connection and hoped the warmth on her cheeks wasn't as deep as it felt.

"Don't expect some kind of special treatment. You have to earn a starting position." She started addressing the rest of the new girls, "We're not the best, and I doubt we'll be going to nationals any time soon. But we have a solid foundation, and we take this club seriously."

It was far more honest than Natsu expected. She smirked, "who says we're not going to nationals?" Silence, shocked stares, and another raised eye brow.

Then, "now that's the kind of attitude I like to see!" The coach shouted with a clap of hands. She was standing next to a white board, green marker in hand.

The captain sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, "good to know you'll bring that famous Hinata positivity to the team," she paused thoughtfully, "now team up," she clapped her hands and turned away, "and we'll see if you can bring that famous jump, too," she tossed over her shoulder.

That was a month ago. Now, Natsu took her time after practice, sending her brother smiling emojis whenever he asked about her improvement. Once the other girls had walked far enough away, Natsu turned the corner and entered the club room. Free to change in peace without more snide remarks.

She knew that Shigeko Hayashi and her small group of friends, a mixed bag of second and third years, weren't going to stop until she stood up for herself. Something Shoyo never had a problem doing. She lowered her head as she tied her ribbon into a perfect bow around her long red hair. 

"What part of hurry up was too complicated for you to understand?" Came an amused voice from the door.

There was a loud crash as Natsu jumped into the metal shelving unit, "Natchan!" She clutched her hands to her chest to calm her heart, "You scared me!"

The only response was a raised eyebrow and a smirk that gave away an urge to laugh. "C'mon, you're going to make me late too, delinquent."

Natsu turned red, but grabbed her bag and hurried to the door, "Captain!" She said with a forceful salute as she walked past so Natsumi could lock the door.

They walked to the main building in a comfortable silence, until the captain broke it, "I know they can be cruel at times, but they're your seniors. And once us third years are gone… well…" She paused awkwardly, mulling words in her mouth until, "Hayashi has a way of commanding a crowd." She offered a kind smile and Natsu returned it. "But once they're gone," she repeated more forcefully "you'll certainly be able to shine."

Natsu looked away, frustrated but still a little proud at her captain's praise. She waved goodbye as she climbed the stairs towards the first year classrooms and gripped her bag with both hands. A determination settling in her heart. They knew "Ninja Shoyo," the world famous outside hitter, member of the monster generation. They didn't know the boy Natsu remembered, the boy who gradually became friends with the ball through obsession and dedication. The boy who instilled in her a love of volleyball.

She lifted her head high.

The boy she was going to surpass.


End file.
